JBL FRONT SET

My front speakers are not working. There is a short somewhere possibly causing them to not work. Have swapped out 2 JBL amps (under passenger seat).

Anyone have a set laying around? Need to survive winter then upgrade in spring.

Non Navigation JBL HU

 

So you where able to rule out the amp, by swapping it for one that you know works, correct?

Its most likely not going to be a short in the wire leading to the speakers. Manufactures use pretty good wiring harnesses and route them safely. You're probably ok there.

Question, did both front speakers stop working at the same time?

If you're comfortable with pulling the door panels off then that would let you check the speakers for sure.

If you have the wiring diagram for the harness that plugs into the amp you can actually check the speakers with 2 short pieces of wire and a double/triple A battery.

If you're interested ill post how that works.

 

I would love to know why that works. The front speakers get a tiny bit of sound. It is very muffled and very low. I pulled the panels off yesterday and I do not have stock speakers. I have Phosgates there.
I wonder if they have the connections backwards on the aftermarkets.
I will be removing the panels and moving the rears to front to isolate a problem speaker.
Would love to know the battery trick!

 

stock HU?

 

Stock non navigation

 

Interesting...
Do you have the matching tweeters, also?
Those speakers have a crossover built into the woofer, basically its hiden and makes for an easier install.

The speaker terminals labeled "TWT" would be the output to the tweeters in a normal installation.

As for testing the speakers with a AA/AAA battery, its a simple process. It is also a useful way of testing the polarity of each speaker.

Since you are cool with taking the door panels off you can to this at the speaker.

-disconect the + and - on the speaker

-Use a length of speaker, one for positive and one for negative, and conect them to their appropriate terminal on the speaker.

-now with the other ends of the wire, hold the + wire to the + side of the battery. Then with the negative speaker wire tap it on the negative side of the battery for just a second or two.

What you want to hear is the speaker crackle/pop. If it does, then most likely the speaker is just fine.

If you watch the speaker as it crackles you will also be able to see which direction the cone moves.

If it moved outward, then the phase/polarity is correct. If it moved inward then the speaker is not in phase/polarity. Simple switch the wires to the other terminals on the speaker.

It is actually very common for a speaker to have the terminals marked incorrect. Even with highend ones.

 

I see. There are zero tweeters in the car.

I just did an ohms test to verify they were working. possible I could have been tricked by the readings and the speakers still bad? I doubt it, read below for what I did today. All panels are buttoned up as of now.

Pulled all four speakers off and put them on volt meter. All read 3.5-4ohms

Moved rear speakers to front. No sound

Front speakers to rear, only sound from right rear. I did not move left rear to right to see if it worked (DOH!)

Pulled head unit. Found a thick gray, blue and black wire. Looks to be spliced in. The gray and black wire also look to be spliced into amp harness as well. I did not remove E-tape and check connections.

Head unit going bad? Aftermarket previously installed?

Frustrated and cold so buttoned up for the nite. Photos to follow from phone

Edit, Just tried Bluetooth phone call and front left speaker worked but no audio from radio

 

Photos

 

You read the ohms test correct. The speakers are almost certainly still in good condition.

The splices you found would be the next thing i would inspect.

In a bit ill take a better look at all the pics. Good chance we might be able to atleast explain the reason for the splices and such.

 

Oh, one more thing. The next time you are working on it, something worth checking is the the speaker wires that would have plugged into the tweeters.

Theres a good chance the door speakers are/were originally in parallel with the tweets.

I think the signal from the amp goes to the tweeter first. The wire harness that plugs into the tweet will have four wires. Two of those then go to the woofer in the door.

You will be checking to see if the previous ppl altered it, or atleast if it looks like they might have.

 

the previous people basically cut the tweeters. I think the front have the plugs in tact where the pluged in but the rears are cut. I should have photographed everything!!!!

 

You know your stuff. Happen to have a diagram telling what colors go to what so I can check if they spliced the correct wires?!?

 

Im gonna try to find one shortly. Just got a few things to wrap up at the job site.